Spotlight: Florence
La Via del Tè
by Bruce Richardson

Everyone knows that classic Tuscan meals are always accompanied by two beverages: Chianti and espresso. But can you find a decent cup of tea in this gastronomical paradise?

My recent trip to Tuscany included a stay in a 12th-century villa, the grand centerpiece of one of Italy’s countless vineyards. Best of all, my wife and I were there during the grape harvest. The heady aroma of fermenting grapes greeted us as we stepped onto our terrace each morning. Chianti was so plentiful—and cheap—that we were tempted to pour it over our breakfast cereal.

Alas, man does not live by Chianti alone. I have to have tea every day. I always carry my own tea when I travel, and—knowing the Italian love affair with coffee—I knew good tea would be hard to find. Every afternoon, we broke out our stash of Assams and Darjeelings and enjoyed a pot of tea accompanied by fresh bread with pecorino cheeses and prosciutto from the local butcher.

There have been attempts to grow tea in Italy. English transplants tried to grow Camellia sinensis bushes in Sicily in 1810. The terraced, well-drained hillsides of central Italy would seem suited for the plants. Near the Tuscan town of Lucca, a small plot of tea plants has been carefully tended over the past 15 years by Guido Cattolica. His ancestor, Angelo Borrini, was a physician at the court of the Lucchese Duchy in the middle of the 18th century and had a collection of camellias, some of which still grow in the grounds of the family home Villa Borrini of Santi Andrea di Compito. With just 3,000 plants, this small-scale operation is still experimental.

My question was, “In this land of espresso and cappuccino, can there be a respectable tearoom?” My quest was to find such an oasis. I found it nearby in one of the most beautiful cities of Europe: Florence.

The spiritual and financial heart of Florence is the vibrant area surrounding the magnificent Duomo (cathedral). I took a 20-minute walk from those busy, tourist-filled streets to the working-class neighborhood surrounding the Piazza Ghiberti. This ancient market square fills each morning with farmers and merchants selling fresh produce, flowers, cheeses and breads. It’s a colorful bazaar surrounded by tiny shops, tradesmen and bars. Bed linens dangle from the windows of the overhead apartments as the shopkeepers sweep the sidewalks clean every morning. This is not the neighborhood for Gucci or Prada souvenirs. It is one of the most unlikely settings for one of best tearooms east of Paris.

La Via del Tè is on the first floor of a building in the center of the piazza. It is so inconspicuous that I passed it twice before I finally recognized it. The name La Via del Tè is instantly known by tea enthusiasts as being borrowed from “The Book of Tea” by Kakuzo Okakura. This classic Japanese text describes the way of tea as “an experience that delights the senses, calms the mind, and refreshes the spirit.”

Owner Alfredo Carrai had such a refreshing epiphany when he tasted his first cup of good Chinese green tea. “One day I was visiting the American Market in Leghorn where I happened to come across a tin of Jasmine tea from the People’s Republic of China. That was when I understood that China was the real tea world, not England,” he explained. His prior tea experiences had been only with Twinings’ Gunpowder and Earl Grey teabags.

The young coffee retailer became enthralled with tea and soon began a business dedicated to bringing this life-changing discovery to his countrymen. He left the coffee world behind and became one of the first Italians to begin importing quality loose teas from China and India under the brand name of SNAK. He explained, “The logo we chose was a snake from Ceylon, which is a sacred symbol to the Indians. But, to the Italians, the snake is against Catholicism. We had to change the name from Snake Tea to SNAK.”

In 1997, Carrai opened La Via del Tè in the Piazza Ghiberti. Most consultants would have advised the Carrai family to locate their tearoom in the tourist-packed streets near the Uffizi or along the River Arno beside the Ponte Vecchio. Alfredo purposefully chose a working neighborhood with a view of one of Florence’s busiest open-air markets. He wanted to make the statement that “good tea is not just for the elite.” It should be enjoyed by all and be as common to every day life as the fresh bread and green vegetables shoppers were buying in the market stalls outside the tearoom windows.

The shop’s simple white walls are lined with mahogany shelves filled with hundreds of handsome, dark green canisters, each numbered sequentially. Each holds a treasure of hand-picked teas from such places as China, India, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Kenya, Nepal and Sikkim. The staff loves to open the tins so that customers can get acquainted with the teas before they purchase them.

The deep red floor tiles, wooden-beamed ceilings and brick archways lend a comfortable old-world ambiance. The décor was chosen by Lalla Carrai, Alfredo’s wife. This is a quiet sanctuary where tea is held in esteem equal to the Chianti sleeping in barrels in the neighboring cellars. It is a tearoom centered on tea. It is not a restaurant. A few pastries and baked goods are offered, but the purpose of La Via del Tè is to act out the Carrai family’s mission to seduce Florentines to the unending world of gourmet teas.

Their labor has become a family affair. The six Carrai children grew up immersed in the tea business, and all now work in various aspects of the company. They have influenced their father to broaden his concept of the way of tea by adding flavored teas, herbals and tea sachets to their catalog.

Alfredo Carrai is proud of the fact that tea has become the vocation of his children. For the Carrai family, their tea business is “an experience that delights the senses, calms the mind and refreshes the spirit.” Okakura would surely feel honored.

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